With less than 4 weeks to go the organizers of the Dec. 3 Fukuoka International Marathon have announced this year's elite field. And here it is. The field is set up to try to help top Japanese man Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima), who fell and dropped out during last month's Olympic marathon trials, to 2:05:50, where he'll take the third spot on the Paris Olympic team away from trials 3rd-placer Suguru Osako (GMO). Hosoya ran 2:06:35 in the Miracle at Lake Biwa in 2021, but although he's been pretty stable since then he hasn't been able to get under 2:08 again. Abebe Negewo Degefa (Ethiopia) is the only athlete in the field to have gone under 2:05:50 in the last 3 years, with Kenyans Bethwel Yegon and Abel Kirui, 5th last year at age 40, both at the 2:06 level.
Beyond that it looks like a solid 2:07 race with 6 men including last year's 2nd through 4th-placers Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki), Michael Githae (Suzuki) and Australian NR breaker Brett Robinson. An interesting addition is Chinese duo Shaohui Yang and Peiyou Feng, Yang with China's 2nd-fastest-ever time of 2:07:49 in Wuxi in the spring and Feng with a 2:09:21 in the same race. With a million Chinese marathons to choose from it's a surprise to see them come to Japan, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least Yang walk away as the top Asian finisher. Also in the field is 2017 winner Sondre Nordstad Moen (Norway), hoping to get under 2:10 for the first time since 2020 after a good 1:00:20 half marathon in Malaga last week.
Fukuoka International Marathon Elite Field
Fukuoka, 3 Dec. 2023
times listed are best in last 3 years except where noted
Abebe Negewo Degefa (Ethiopia) - 2:05:27 (Valencia 2021)
Bethwel Yegon (Kenya) - 2:06:14 (Berlin 2021)
Kyohei Hosoya (Japan/Kurosaki Harima) - 2:06:35 (Lake Biwa 2021)
Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 2:06:52 (Milan 2021)
Vincent Raimoi (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:07:01 (Fukuoka Int'l 2022)
Zerei Kbrom Mezngi (Norway) - 2:07:10 (Valencia 2022)
Michael Githae (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:07:28 (Fukuoka Int'l 2022)
Brett Robinson (Australia) - 2:07:31 (Fukuoka Int'l 2022)
Bethwell Kipkemboi Ruto (Kenya) - 2:07:34 (Daegu 2023)
Shaohui Yang (China) - 2:07:49 (Wuxi 2023)
Peiyou Feng (China) - 2:09:21 (Wuxi 2023)
Andrew Buchanan (Australia) - 2:10:20 (Hamburg 2023)
Sondre Nordstad Moen (Norway) - 2:10:23 (Vienna 2023)
Takuma Kumagai (Japan/Sumitomo Denko) - 2:10:41 (Fukuoka Int'l 2021)
Joel Mwaura (Kenya/Kurosaki Harima) - 2:10:45 (Fukuoka Int'l 2022)
Yusuke Tobimatsu (Japan/Hioki City Hall) - 2:10:47 (Hofu 2021)
Asuka Tanaka (Japan/Runlife) - 2:11:09 (Tokyo 2022)
Kamil Jastrzębski (Poland) - 2:11:09 (Valencia 2021)
Hiromasa Kumahashi (Japan/Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 2:11:24 (Tokyo 2023)
Taira Kato (Japan/Shindengen Kogyo) - 2:12:06 (Tokyo 2023)
Tomoki Yoshioka (Japan/Kyudenko) - 2:12:21 (Nobeoka 2023)
Hiroshi Ichida (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:12:23 (Beppu-Oita 2019)
Edward Goddard (Australia) - 2:12:52 (Gold Coast 2023)
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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